Schneider and Bilfinger Build Software-Defined Off-Grid Buoy

For decades, remote offshore operations have relied on physical tethers to deliver power and control signals.

These thick bundles of hydraulic and electrical lines, known as umbilicals, connect subsea equipment back to manned platforms.

But a new autonomous system developed by Schneider Electric and German industrial services firm Bilfinger could signal a shift in how industries approach remote asset management.

The technology, currently operating in the North Sea, represents a convergence of renewable energy, autonomous control systems and advanced connectivity that extends far beyond its oil and gas origins.

The two companies have spent 2024 and 2025 developing the control system behind a floating buoy that generates its own power and operates without anyone onboard.

Since its deployment in October 2025, the system has logged 1,000 hours of autonomous operation without incident.

Autonomous systems in extreme environments

The project centres on a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI), a type of offshore asset designed to operate without a permanent crew.

These systems must be both sophisticated and durable, capable of functioning in harsh marine conditions.

Bilfinger was appointed by Buoyant Production Technologies, a subsidiary of Crondall Energy, to design a system capable of supporting autonomous operations in remote locations.

The technology addresses a broader challenge across industries: how to manage assets in locations where permanent human presence is either impractical or economically unviable.

The buoy offers an alternative approach for remote sites that cannot justify the infrastructure costs of traditional manned installations.

Its autonomous capabilities could provide a template for similar applications in remote monitoring, research stations or distributed infrastructure networks.

Open architecture and software-defined control

The control system was built on Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform, described as open and software-defined.

This means the buoy’s applications are not locked to specific hardware, allowing equipment from different vendors to be combined on the same system.

At the core is a Modicon M580 dPAC controller, a programmable automation controller that manages the buoy’s functions and the flow of data between sensors and equipment.

The open architecture approach could represent a significant development in industrial automation, moving away from proprietary systems towards more flexible, interoperable platforms.

The buoy’s power comes from a renewable energy microgrid combining wind, solar PV and battery storage, with diesel generation as backup.

This hybrid approach to power management in remote locations could inform future distributed energy systems across multiple sectors.

Remote monitoring and security systems

With no crew onboard, the connectivity and safety systems carry particular importance.

The buoy relies on 5G and SpaceX’s Starlink systems for high-availability communications back to shore, demonstrating how satellite internet technology is enabling new approaches to remote operations.

Fire, gas and smoke detection systems are built in, alongside what Schneider Electric describes as a layered cybersecurity framework protecting the control system from intrusion.

As autonomous systems become more prevalent across industries, the integration of physical safety systems with cyber defences could become a standard requirement.

Bilfinger has been named Schneider Electric’s UK EAE Partner of the Year 2025, according to Schneider Electric, on the back of the project.

Steven Parkinson, Bilfinger’s Automation, Production and Service Director for the UK, says: “Traditional automation architectures make customisation very difficult, especially for first-of-its-kind projects.

For Steven, this project is about integrating the principles of renewable generation, remote operation and autonomous control in one package.

Devan Pillay, President of Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric, adds: “The real opportunity now lies in replicating and scaling this approach across future assets to enable a lower-carbon offshore industry.”

The technology’s potential applications could extend to remote research facilities, distributed infrastructure networks and other scenarios where autonomous operation in challenging environments is required.